1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to a lighting device for vehicles, such as a headlight, a brake light, a turn signal light and a side-marker lamp of an automobile, and in particular to a lighting device providing additional functions of alarming, decoration and identification.
2. The Related Art
Lighting devices are mounted in a vehicle, such as an automobile and a motorcycle, for lighting and indication purposes. For example, a headlight of an automobile projects a head light beam in front of the automobile to light the road environments in front of the automobile for driving safety. However, the lighting devices of automobiles are just of one function. In other words, the lighting devices that are conventionally mounted in automobiles each have only a single function, such as lighting, indication and alarm. No additional function is included in the conventional lighting devices.
In addition, the conventional lighting devices of automobiles do not allow the drivers of other vehicles to identify the vehicles of the same group if a number of vehicle are grouped together in traveling. Unable to identify other members of the group at a far distance makes the vehicles of the group not able to stay together in a long journey.
Thus, it desired to have a lighting device for vehicles to overcome such problems.
An object of the present invention is to provide a lighting device for vehicles for enhancing lighting effect of the vehicles.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a lighting device for vehicles that, in addition to lighting, provides functions of alarming and decoration.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a lighting device comprising, besides a primary lighting element, a secondary lighting element for providing functions of alarming, decoration and identification.
To achieve the above objects, in accordance with the present invention, there is provided a lighting device comprising a base defining an interior space therein and having an open end. The base forms a circumferential groove in and around the open end. A hole is defined in a bottom wall of the groove. A light-transmitting cover has a corrugated flange received in the groove of the base for attaching the cover to the open end of the base for covering the open end. A recess is defined in the flange and substantially aligned with the hole. A plurality of projections is formed on an inside surface of the cover and spaced along an inner circumference of the cover. A primary lighting element, such as a conventional automobile headlight bulb, is fixed in the interior space of the base for projecting a light beam through the cover. A secondary lighting element, such as color light emitting diode (LED), is received in the recess of the cover through the hole of the base whereby light emitted from the secondary lighting element is guided to the projections and projected outward therefrom to form a ring of lighting around the primary lighting element for enhancing the lighting effect of the primary lighting element and also providing effects of alarming, decoration and identification.